Radial aero engine



April 9, 1929. J. FELT 1,708,611

RADIAL AERO ENGI NE Filed Dec. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1,675 E6 (a n Co;

April 9, 1929. J. FELT 1,708,611

RADIAL AERO ENGINE Fi 8 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jbscplb Few ZJ p i 9- J. FELT 1,708,611

RADIAL AERO ENGINE Filed Dec. 1927 3'Shee1is-Sheet 5 may;

Patented Apr. 9, 1 929 UNITED STATES JOSEPH FELT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RADIAL AERO ENGINE.

Application filed December 7, 1927. Serial No. 238,419.

This invention aims to provide a novel in ternal combustion engine wherein vibration will be reduced to a minimum, the construction of the engine being such that a maxi-' mum horse power will result, with a minimum amount of material and-with the mom pation of a minimum amount of space. The device aims to provide novel means for imparting rotation to the shaft from the pis- 1 tons of the engine, and to provide novel means whereby the engine will operate smoothly and evenly.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made Within the scope of what is claimed, without de arting from the spirit of the invention,

11 the drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is an end elevation showing the eccentric and the strap;

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the engine, in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the engine shaft, parts being in elevation;

Figure 4 is a perspective showing one of the cylinders;

Figure 5 is a perspective showing a portion of the ring on which the cylinders are carried;

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustratlng the connection between the pitman and the piston; 0

Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating the connection between the pitman and the eccentric strap;

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the inner side of one of the plates of the frame;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic View illustrating how the inner ends of the pitmen cooperate with the guides or stabilizers;

Figure 10 is a section taken through the eccentric;

Figure 11 is a cross section on the hue 11-41 of Figure 3.

The frame of the engine includes a ring 1, and a portion of the ring appears in Figure 5. It is there shown that the ring 1 has a plurality of peripheral surfaces 2, there 60 being openlngs 3 in the ring 1. There may be any desired number of radial cylinders 4 in the engine, each cylinder having a lining 5 provided with a projecting end 6'received in the opening 3 of the ring 1. The cylinder 4 has a base 7 that rests on the flat surface 2 of the ring 1, the base 7 being secured to the ring, as shown at 8. The ends of the bases 7 of the cylinders 4 are beveled as shown at 9 in Figure 4, and the said beveled edges abut, as indicated by, the numeral 10, in Figure 1, a strong structure resulting and the ring 1 being reinforced by the abutment between'the beveled edges of the cylinder bases. The engine may be supplied with an annular intake manifold 11 having any de sired number of fuel inlets12 communicating with valve casings 14, the casings in turn communicating with the. outer ends of the cylinders 4, as shown in Figure 3. The exhaust outlets for the cylinders are indicated at 15,.and the poppet valve mechanism 16 may be of the common kind or of any preferred form.

The frame of the engine includes side plates 17 shown in section in Figure 3, one of the side plates being depicted in elevation in Figure 8. The side plates 17 overlap at their edges on the ring 1 and are secured thereto, as shown at 18. The side plates 17 have guides or stabilizers 19 which, as shown in Figure 3, extend inwardly toward the median plane of the engine. The guides 19 have outer lateral convexed surfaces 20 which converge to an apex 21, the inner lateral surfaces of the guides being concaved, as shown at 22, and being located in communication with converging end surfaces 23 which form an inner end edge 24, these details being read most clearly from Figure 9 of the drawings.

The side plates 17 have tubular portions 25 in which is located a shaft 26 carrying an eccentric 28, the eccentric being mounted to operate between the side plates 17. Retaining rings 29 are threaded on the shaft 26 and are located at the ends of the tubular portions 25 of the side plates 17 Securing elements 30 connect the retaining rings 29 with the shaft 26. Anti-friction bearings 31 surround the shaft 26 and are located within the tubular portions 25 of the side plates 17. The anti-friction bearings 31 support the shaft26 for rotation within the 34, and an anti-friction bearing 35 is located between the strap 34 and the eccentric 28. The strap 34 has a circumferential recess 36 across which extends a tubular wrist pin 37 having its ends mounted in the side portions of the strap 34, there being securing elements 38 in the side portions of the strap 34, the securing elements engaging the wrist pin 37 to hold it against endwise movement. The securing elements 38 hold extensions 39 in the ends of the wrist pin 37, the extensions being provided at their outer ends with flanges 40 which hold rollers 41 on the ends of the extensions 39, for rotation. The rollers 41 are adapted to cooperate with the guides or stabilizers 19 in" a way which will be pointed out hereinafter, but Figure 9 may be given a casual glance at this place. A bushing 42 is located around the intermediate portion of the wrist pin 37. The bushing 42 is disposed in an eye 43 at the inner end of a pitman 44, there being as many of the pitmen 44, as there are cylinders 4. At its outer end, each pitman 44 is supplied with a bearing 45 enclosing a bushing 46 disposed about a wrist pin 47 held by securing members 48 in internal sockets 49 formed on the pistons 50 which are mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders 4. The wrist pin 47 has holes 47 for the securing members 48, as shown in Figure 6.

In practical operation, when the charges are fired in the cylinders 4 by anysuitable means undisclosed in the drawings and forming no part of the present application, reciprocation is imparted to the pistons 50, and the pistons operate the pitmen 44, the pitmen causing the strap 34 to operate, because the wrist pins 37 move in orbits which are shown at 51 in Figure 9. The surfaces 22, 20 and 23 of the guides or stabilizers 19 are so shaped that the rollers 41 on the ends of the wrist pins 37 will travel along the said surfaces, whilst the orbits shown'at 51 are being traced, and, owing to the provision of the guides 19, the strap 34 will be steadied in its movement. The'strap' 34 and eccentric on the shaft, a strap disposed about the eccentric, pitmen pivoted at their outer ends to the pistons, pivot elements connecting the inner ends of the pitmen with the strap, and movable in orbits when the pitmen operate the strap, and guides on the sides of the frame and extended toward the median plane of the en ine, the guides I having outer lateral convexe surfaces which converge to an apex, and having inner lateral surfaces which are concaved and located in communication with converging end surfaces which form an inner end edge, whereby the ends of the pivot elements ride u on them when the pivot elements move in t eir aforesaid orbits.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a frame including a ring and side plates connected to the ring, the side plates having tubular members; a shaft in the tubular members, cylinders mounted on the ring and arranged in substantially radial relation with respect to the shaft, an eccentric carried by the shaft, a strap disposed about the eccentric, istons working in the cylinders, pitmen pivoted to the strap and to the pistons, abutments on the shaft at the ends of the tubular members, first bearings wherein the shaft is journaled, the first bearings being located in the tubular members, thrust bearings about the shaft and within the tubular members, the thrust bearings being interposed between the first bearings and the abutments, and thrust bearings aboutthe shaft and within the tubular members, the last-specified thrust bearings being interposed between the first bearings and the eccentric. v

In testimony that I claim theforegoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

JOSEPH FELT. 

